Published: 19 November 2024
The boundless talent and dedication possessed by our student body here on the Tooting campus was on full display last month, as the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Society took their abstract on racial inequalities in treatment of Black and brown mothers to the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG) World Congress in Oman.
Not only this, but the abstract was then picked up as one of the top 500 scored abstracts in the prestigious British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG).
We caught up with Sharon Adebisi, former President of the O&G Society, to find out more about her society, its work, and its whirlwind of success stories.
How did the initial student feedback shape the abstract?
Never underestimate the value of a feedback form. When we hosted our O&G Society events, unconsciously amplifying the voices of mothers in medical education, we did not expect the feedback from our attendees to be as great they were. From both events we held, 100% of students and health professionals that responded to our feedback forms rated the events a 4/5 or above. After first event, 78.5% of respondents reported a better understanding of the maternity experience from a mother’s perspective.
And after our second event 65.7% of respondents reported an improved knowledge on the causes of racial disparities in maternal outcomes, and solutions we can use to improve the maternity experiences of black and brown mothers.
Our general committee member, Dr Vafie Sheriff, then encouraged us to write an abstract detailing the impact our events appeared to make its on its attendees. Since our feedback followed the consensus that students appreciated these events and would like more of them in their medical training, it was only right to document these findings formally.
So together, Anika Khair (President), Naurin Hossain (Vice President), Shruthi Atapaka (Vice President), Nazanin Hajimohammadimalekabadi (Secretary), Vafie Sheriff (General Committee) and I, Sharon Adebisi (President) created an abstract and an academic poster to illustrate the importance of amplifying the voices of mothers in medical teaching.
What were some of the key insights or stories shared by the mothers during these university events that you believe were most impactful?
“Give clear explanations to your patient on what is happening with them, and keep them in the loop of what you are doing always.”
“Don’t allow yourself to become a robot, devoid of empathy and emotion. Whilst you may have seen a birth many times before, this may be a families first time.”
“For every mother you see, imagine, how would you like to be spoken to if you/someone you love were in her shoes?”
“During labour check in with the mother AND the person who is with her. It’s an overwhelming experience for the partner too and it just takes a second to ask if they’re okay.”
A mother also shared her story about how she was experiencing a severe post-epidural headaches, and when she expressed this multiple times to staff, no one took it seriously. It was only when she tried to get up to go the toilet and suddenly lost consciousness, that she was taken seriously. She emphasised that clinicians shouldn’t wait till patients crash before they take their concerns seriously. Truly listening is acting on concerns the first time you hear them.
These are just some of the insights and stories shared by the mothers. To learn about more ways we can improve the maternity experiences of black and brown women, I would definitely recommend you reading one of the resources we created here.
What does it mean to your society to have your abstract selected not only for poster presentation at the RCOG conference but also to be featured in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG)?
When we found out the news we were all overjoyed!
Though all of us had really worked hard on aur abstract, it was still a shock to see that it was good enough to be published in such an established journal. It showed us that you don’t have to wait till you are a doctor to make an impact. Anyone can; with the right team, motivation and proactivity.
- Sharon Adebisi, Former President of the O&G Society -
Our abstract in the BJOG can be viewed here (on page 167).
How did you find the overall experience of attending the conference?
The conference was attended by Naurin Hossain (former Vice President of St George’s O&G Society 23-24), Nazanin Hajimohammadimalekabadi (former Secretary) and myself.
We all had an amazing time. I found it phenomenal.
You know you’re in the right place when every other lecture that’s going on has you enraptured.
- Sharon Adebisi, Former President of the O&G Society -
There were multiple O&G talks happening at the same time and I found myself trying to rush to as many as I could.
There were amazing networking opportunities with doctors from all over the world.
- Sharon Adebisi, Former President of the O&G Society -
I met new doctors, bumped into doctors who have taught me before, and reconnected with consultant O&G Dr Isioma Okolo who spoke at our “Why are black and brown mothers dying in childbirth, and what can we do about it’’ event.
It was a fantastic experience, and worth every penny.
What are the upcoming plans, goals, initiatives for the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society?
Most of us from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society 23-24 committee are no longer in the current 24-25 committee, however the current team have some great plans pending!
Dr Kevin Hayes will be giving a talk on pregnancy complications in late November. They’ll also be having a charity event with the other London University O&G societies in early December.
Finally, they will be having a talk with a sonographer about all scans related to obstetrics and gynaecology. For more information and to stay updated, follow them on Instagram.